This invention relates to operating means for an electric circuit breaker and, more particularly, relates to stored-energy operating means that comprises a closing spring that can be quickly discharged to close the circuit breaker.
The particular operating means that we are concerned with comprises a rotatable spring-controller mounted for rotation between first and second angularly-spaced dead-center positions with respect to the closing spring. The spring is charged by rotating the spring-controller in a forward direction between said second and said first dead-center positions. Circuit-breaker closing is effected after such charging of the spring by allowing the spring to discharge and drive the spring-controller in a forward direction into its second dead-center position.
It is conventional to transmit closing forces between the spring-controller and the usual operating mechanism of the circuit breaker through a rotatable cam. Such cams, while adequate to perform this function, are expensive to manufacture inasmuch as they require a precisely-contoured hardened working surface.